Boat-propeller.



PATENTED JAN. 8, 1907.

, 4UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE FRENCH ATWOOD, OE WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS. l

i BOAT-PROPELLER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 8, 1907.

injury to any of the working parts.

Other advantageous features of my invention will be fully understood from the following description and claims when the same are considered in connection with the accompanying'drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichy Figure 1 is a vertical section of the rear portion of a boat provided with my improved propelling means. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the motor-controlling means. Fig. 3

s an enlarged detail section illustrative of the opposed disks of said controlling means,

and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail section of a portion of the axially-movable casing of the propelling means. @Similar letters and numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings, referring to Which- A is the rear part of a boat-hull, and B is a vertically disposed axially movable casingA journaled 'and supported in a suitable bearing C in the hull. of any construction compatible with the purpose of my invention without involving a departure from the scope thereof, though I prefer to have it comprise a lower section c, bearing a preferably integral rudder a, and an upper section a4, the upper part b of which is adapted to serve as a field-ma net fora purpose presently set forth. T e .motor (hereinafter described in detail) is insulated from anything below it.

The sections a and a4 are provided with oppositely-threaded portions c c and are connected through the medium of a surrounding nut c', having interior right and left hand threads engaging the oppositely -threaded portions of the casing-sections. It will thus be seen that by turning the nut c through a part of a revolution the sections a at may be moved endwise apart to increase the length The said casing B may be of casing B and' in that way take up slack of the band 7c, presently described. l

D is `a propeller arranged in an opening e in the rudder and carried by a shaft f, journaled in and extending across the lower portion of the casing B.

g is a band-pulley fixed on the propellerf shaft f and contaiied in the casing B, and is a shaft journaled in the upper portion of casing B andbearing 1spaced armatures E and a band-pulley i, the said band-pulley being disposed between the armatures E and connected through the medium of a band lc with the pulley g on the propeller-shaft In addition to the field-magnet b and the armatures E the electromotor of my improvements comprises a commutator G and commutator-brushes H, which per se may be and preferably are of the ordinary'wellknown construction and for such reason need not be particularly described herein.

In virtue of the construction and relative arrangement of the working parts thus far described it will be apparent that when the armatures E are rotated the shaft h will also be rotated and motion Will be transmitted from said shaft through the bandl or belt 7c to the propeller-shaft f. From this it follows that the direction Of rotation of the propellershaft may be ex editiously reversed without impairing any o the working parts and without thewaste of electrical energy. It will also be noticed in this connection that the means for transmitting motion from the armatureshaft to the propeller-shaft is entirely inclosed, and hence is not liable to be affected by the water in which the propeller is immersed. Moreover, the casing B serves when turned on its axis to steer the boat.

I, Fig. 2, is a source of electric energy, of any suitable type, which may be situated at any suitable point in the boat.

K is a conductor which extends through the opening c3 in the field-magnet portion of the case B and electrically connects the iieldmagnet and the end minus pole of the source IIO tending through the wall of the casing B and secured by a nut y" or other suitable means, and P is a tiller, having adisk Q opposed to and pivotally connected to the disk N in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The disk N is provided with a contact 2, to which the conductor L extends; a contact 3, to which the conductor M extends 5 a contact 6, connected by a conductor 4 with the opposite end of the feld-magnet with reference to the conductor` K a contact 1, connected by a conductor 1a with one of the commutator-brushes H, and a contact 5, connected through a conductor 22 with the other commutator-brush H. The several conductors L, M, 4, 22, and 1a extend from the disk N into the casing B, as shown in Fig. 3. The disk Q is provided with contacts 9, 10, and 11 electrically connected'by conductors 27 and 28; contacts 7 and 8, electrically connected by a conductor 26 contacts 13 and 15, electrically connected by a conductor 15a, and contacts 12 and 14, electrically connected by a conductor 15b.

In practice when the handle or tiller P is in a position to hold the contact 11 on the disk Q in engagement with the contact 1 on disk N and the contact 5 in engagement with the contact 7 and the contact 8 in engagement with the contact 6 the circuit will be from the end plus pole of the source of electric energy through the conductor L, contact 2, contact 10, conductor 28, contact 11,con tact 1, conductor 1a, one of the commutatorbrushes H, the commutator G, the other commutator-brush H, the conductor 22 contact 5, contact 7, conductor 26, contact 8, contact 6, conductor 4, the field-magnet, and the conductor K to the end minus pole of the source of electric energy. From this it follows that the armatures of the motor will be rotated with the full power of the source of electric energy in a direction to propel the boat forwardly. Vhen the tiller P is turned on its axis a suitable distance to carry the contact 9 into engagement with the contact 3 and the contact 10 out of engagement with A the contact 2, the circuit will be from an intermediate plus pole of the source of electric energy through conductor M, contact 3, contact 9, conductor 27, contact 10, conductor 28, contact 11 contact 1, conductor la, one of the commutator-brushes H, the commutator G, the other commutator-brush H, thev conductor 22, the contact 5, the contact 7, the conductor 26, the contact 8, the contact 6, lthe conductor 4 of the field-magnet, and

the conductor K to the end minus pole of the source of electric energy. Because of this the armatures of the motor are obviously rotated with but a portion of the energy of the battery, and hence at a slow speed in a direction to propel the boat forward. When the tiller P is rotated in the same direction as before suiliciently far todisengage the contact 9 from contact 3 and the contact 10 from contact 2, the electrical connection between the source of electric energy and the motor will be interrupted and the motor stopped. When, however, the handle is turned in the same direction sulliciently far to place the contacts 12, 13, 14, and 15 in engagement with the contacts 5, 6, 2, and 1, respectively, the circuit will be from the plus pole of the source of energy through conductor L, contact 2 and contact 14, 'conductor 15b, contact 12, contact 5, conductor 22, one of the commutator-brushes H, the commutator G, the other connnutator-brush I-I, the

` same in a horizontal plane a person is enabled to steer the boat, while by turning the said tiller on its axis such person is enabled to quickly and easily start the boat, as well as stop and regulate the speed of the same.

While I have shown and described the casing B as equipped with a rudder, I desire it distinctly understood that the rudder is not essential to the successful operation of my improvements in propelling and steering a boat, and therefore the said rudder may be omitted when desired without affecting my invention.

tures it will be observed that the motor is highly ei'licient in proportion to the power expended, and it will also be observed that because of the motor having two separate armatures and two commutators with pulley in center I am enabled to run the motor at slow speed with one armature and commutator and at high speed with both.

I claim- 1. The combination of a boat, a verticallydisposed, axially-movable casing journaled in a bearing on the boat, an insulating-disk having an annular projection extending through the casing-wall and secured thereto, a shaft journaled in the lower portion of the casing and provided at a point within the casinor with a band-pulley and at a oint outside tlie casing with a propeller, a s raft journaled in the u per portion of the casing and provided within the samewitha band-pulley, a band or belt connecting the pulleys and contained in the casing, an electric motor IOO comprising rotary armatures fixed directly on t e second-mentioned shaft, a tiller having a disk opposed to the insulating-disk of the casing and pivotally connected thereto, a source of electric energy, and cooperating means on the disks for controlling the supply of electric energy to the motor.

2. The combination of a boat, a verticallydisposed, axially-movable casing journaled in a bearing on the boat and comprising lower and upper sections, means connecting said sections to assure same turning together von their aXes, an insulating-disk having an annular projection extending through the casing-wall and secured thereto, a shaft journaled in the lower portion of the casing and provided within the casing with a bandulley andwithout the casing with a prope ler, a shaft journaledin the u per portion of the casing and provided withln the same with a band-pulley, a band or belt connecting the pulleys and contained in the casing, an electric motor comprising rotary armatures iiXed directly on the second-mentioned. shaft, a tiller having a disk opposed to the insulatingdisk of the casing and pivotally connected thereto, a source of electric energy, and cooperating means on the disks for controlling t e supply of electric energy to the motor.

3. The combination of a boat, a verticallydisposedcasing' journaled in a bearing on the boat and comprising lower and upper sections having o positely threaded portions, and a nut aving interior opposite threads, surrounding and engaging the oppositely-threaded ortions of the sections, a shaft journaled 1n the lower section of the casing and provided Within the casing with a bandulley and without the casing with a prope ler, a shaft j ournaled in the upper section of the casing and bearing a band-pulley, a band connecting said pulleys, and a tiller for turning the casing on its axis.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE FRENCH ATWOOD. Witnesses:

EDEN K. BowsER, JOHN M. CAMERON. 

